Governing mechanism



D. F. WARNER GovERNING MEcHANIsM April 1s, 1939.

Filed May 19, 1957 Inventor: Donald T-warvw'ey torneg.

Patented Ap'r. 18., 1939 PATENT foFFlCE GovERNING MECHANISM Donald F. Warner, Swampscott, Mass., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 19, 1937, serial No. 143,525

1 claim. (ci. 264-14) The present invention relates to governing mechanism of the type in which the apparatus to be governed is controlled by variations in the pressure of a fluid pressure system, such pressure being regulated in turn in accordance with the speed of a controlling apparatus. It isqan objectbf the invention to provide a governing mechanism which will .continue to operate reliably even after a long period of use.

y I It is a 'further and more particular object to provide in connection with a governor of the above-specified type a uid pressure controlling In accordance with one aspect of the inventionl the foregoing objects are' accomplished by providing a. fluid pressure controlling mechanism having a variable outlet through which the oper-v ating fluid is discharged centrifugally, such discharge serving to maintain the operative parts of the controlling Amechanism continually flushed and free of solid particles.

The features of novelty which I desire to protect herein will b'e pointed out with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following 'description taken in connection with the drawing in which Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically a governing mechanism embodying my invention and Fig. 2. shows one application of such mechanism in connection with power appa- I have illustrated my invention in'connection with a governing mechanism particularly usefulA where theapparatus to be `governed is driven by an elastic fluid-although the invention is not limited to such use. In this case the governed apparatus (not shown) maycomprise, for example, a rotary gas turbineconnected to the outlet end of a fluid conduit 5. This conduit in turn communicates with a. supply line-pipe 6, which may be connected, for example,jwith the exhaust of a. combustion engine, such as an aeroplane engine. Inordertoregulate' the-'supply of elastic In order to vary the position of the valve 8 and thereby to control the peration of the apparatus to be governed, there is provided a motor element comprising a piston I0 operating within a closed cylinder II. This piston .operates 5 through a linkage I2 to open and close-the valve 8 as it moves from one position to another. A spring 9 serves to Ibias. the pistonl toward the position in which the valve is completely closed.

In the arrangement contemplated 'bythe pres- 10 ent invention the position of thepiston I0 is controlled by variations in the pressure of a uid pressuresystem. Means for accomplishing such control may comprise, for example, a conduit I3 communicating with a pump (not shown), or with l5 other apparatus for delivering an operating uid, preferably oil under pressure. A restricting ori-- fce I6 may be included in the conduit I3 for preventing small transitory variations in the supply pressure from affecting the operation of the gov- 20 erning mechanism. The upper surface of the f piston III is in communication with the fluid conduit I3 through a pipe I4 so that the piston is caused to move up or down against the biasing I action of the spring 9 as the pressure in the pipe 25 I4 decreases or increases. I

In order to obtain the desired governing action the fluid pressure within the conduit I3 is in turn controlled in accordance with variations in the speed of a controlling apparatus. Such appa- 30 ratus may be either the machine which is to be governed or an entirely separate machine, depending on the circumstances of use.

In accordance with the present invention the presure controlling means includes a discharge 35 outlet for the fluid conduit I3 which outlet is variable in accordance with the speed of the controlling apparatus. In the arrangement illustrated such an outlet is provided in-connection with a rotatable body I'I adapted to be driven by 40 the controlling apparatus through a' shaft I8 (shown (partly broken away). Within this body there is formed a discharge passage 20 providing during the operation of the mechanism a centrifugal discharge for the pressure system. The 45 passage is preferably of radially 'extending character, by which term I intend to designate broadly va passage whose inlet is at or adjacent the axis of rotation o f the rotating body and whose outlet is at the surface of the body. Thus, the passage 20 shown in the drawing is a radially extending passage within the meaning of the foregoing deflnition.

The inlet end of the passage 20 is-in communication with the uid conduit I3 through a pipe y to be regulated by means of a valve 25which is movable by centrifugal forces developed during the rotation of the body I1. This valve is connected with' a centrifugal element 21 which is effective to move the valve in an outward direction to close the outlet 25 when the speed of rota- -tion of the shaft. I8 exceeds a predetermined` value. The distance of such outward movement is determined directly by such speed of rotation and by a biasing spring 28 which is arranged to oppose the action of the centrifugal element. Thisspring acts on a follower 30 which connects with the centrifugal element and with the valve through a shaft 3l. The normal tendency of the spring is to maintain the valve in open position.

As the speed' of the controlling apparatus and, consequently, of the-rotating body I1 increases above a critical value the valve 26 moves outwardly to vary the degree of closure of the discharge outlet 25. Since the pressure within the conduit I3 is in turn determined by the degree of closure of the outlet 25, it will be seen that this pressure is variable in direct relation with the speed of rotation of the controlling apparatus. Through the reaction of the fluid pressure can the piston I0 the apparatus to be governed is consequently regulated in the desired manner. The construction of the iiuid pressure governing means which I have described in the foregoing is such vrthat the solid particles of foreign -material are prevented from depositing within by the radially extending discharge passage suchY 40 the' controlling means and impairing its operation. Due to the centrifugal discharge afforded foreign particles or sediment as may exist in the oil or other fluid employed will be positively forced outwardly through the passage and the opening 25 and will have no opportunity to cause sticking or bindingof the governing means.

The iiuid which issues from the opening 25 is received in an outer casing 33 which surrounds the rotating body I'1. From here it may be drawn off `to a sump or other point of collection through an outlet pipe 3.4.

During operation of the apparatus a certain amount of the oil or other operating fluid is f bound to leak past' the valve shaft at the region 36 and become collected within the rotating body. To permit this collected iiuid to escape into the casing 33, ports 38 and 39 are provided in the structure of the body. AThe continuous flow of leakage iiuid through these ports serves to maintain the various moving parts of the valve regulating mechanism well lubricated and in good running order. l

In Fig. 2 the governing mechanism described in the foregoing is shown as applied to the regulation of an exhaust gas turbine 45 which serves as prime mover for a generator 46. 'I'he source of driving iiuid for the turbine 45 is illustrated as comprising an internal combustion engine 41 having an exhaust pipe 6 corresponding to the pipe 6 of Fig. 1. This pipe connects with the turbine through a conduit'5 and with a valvecontrolled venting outlet 1. The outlet is under the control of a governing mechanism comprising -a iluid motor II, a fluid pressure system including an inlet I3 and an outlet 34 and a pressure controlling device 33 of the type hereinbefore described.

Since the controlling device 33 is connected to the generator 45, its operation is directly responsive to the turbine speed. Consequently, if the turbine speed tends to increase, the rate of discharge from the iluid outlet 34 is decreased, the pressure of/the system rises, and the valve. controlling the venting outlet 1 is .opened to an increase the supply of driving uidto the turbine A45 and to lessen its speed correspondingly.

Obviously, the converse governing action occurs if the turbine speed tends to rise.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood by lthose skilled in the art that manyr modifications may be made without departing', from the invention, and I aim by the appended claim to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A governing mechanism comprising a conduit, means for vdelivering liquid underl pressure to the conduit, a motor operable in accordance with variations in pressure in`the conduit for controlling an apparatus to be governed, a rotatable body to be driven by a controlling apparatus and having a radially extending discharge passage therein, said passage having an inlet adjacent the axis of rotation of the body and an outwardly directed discharge opening at the exterior surface of thebody Whereby the 'fiow of liquid through the body is substantially continuously outward,4 and a valve element arranged within the interior of the body andr rotatable therewith, said element being movable outwardly by centrifugal force developed during the rotation of the body to close the'discharge opening and thereby to regulate the flow through the passage in accordance' with variations in the speed of the controlling apparatus.

. DONALD F. WARNER. 

